Microcapsules may be considered particles, such as droplets of an agent surrounded by a shell or coating, which may form a wall around the agent. In a particular example, microencapsulation may be utilized in self healing composites or coating, wherein the microcapsules may include an active material that may react upon exposure to other compounds in the coating. The active ingredients in the microcapsules may be exposed as micro-cracks and/or cracks develop and/or propagate in the material, rupturing the microcapsules. Reactive agents may also be provided in microcapsules or dispersed in the composite or coating, which interact with the exposed active agents to bond the surfaces of the micro-cracks together.